Steel Magnolias #60

I don't know where the time goes, but it sure flies by anymore. Today Cox is coming to do their installation and then tomorrow I can call Verizon and cancel my account. I'll be glad to get that taken care of.

Tomorrow is English Paper Piecing in the am and then lock-in in the pm. I'm sure we'll be having VA BBQ for dinner. I'll take my lunch with me.

Yesterday I took my car for its annual inspection, an oil change, a new battery and a replaced tail light. Glad to have that out of the way. I must say, the dealer I take it to has the nicest waiting room with comfortable, upholstered chairs, coffee/tea machine, bottled water, soft drinks and snacks. They take your car on time and have you out in record time.

Kohl's is having yet another sale tomorrow and Saturday so I guess I'll go and see what they have for me. I noticed they have petite sizes at 40-50% off so hopefully I can find something.

Have a wonderful day!

__________________
Susan

HW 356 pounds - CW 135 - GW 137

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Good Morning, Flowers! It's another cool morning; a few sprinkles of rain fell earlier and now the sun is peeking through the clouds. Today is my own to do whatever! Have lots I could do but . . . . . feel a bit lazy. Bob began the harvest fun yesterday but thinks it will drag out because most of the fields aren't ready yet. I never know when he will get home in the evening, but usually after it gets dark.

Susan -- Thanks for starting the new thread yesterday! Are you switching to a dish? If you said what Cox is, it has slipped my mind. Our car dealership just remodeled and they have a popcorn machine like theaters have. The smell is wonderful! Bob takes the car in for service; I know I would have a hard time passing up the popcorn if I were there. Enjoy your quilting activities today and good luck at Kohls!

"Gma" -- Too funny!

I need to get dressed and get moving. I really need to vacuum and make a grocery run. Wish we didn't have to eat! Have a fantastic Friday and enjoy!

Today in the ♥-Land we were in the 80°s again with a possibility of thunderstorms.

My back on the left side has been hurting so bad it is hard to get from a sitting position to my feet. While sitting or walking it doesn’t hurt but the action for standing from a sitting position is a killer. We figured it may have something to do with my office chair which didn’t give me much back support. Will brought home a wonderful chair that is supposed to support the lumbar region of a person’s back and it is great to sit in it and makes the trip from sitting to standing much better. The chair I use in the front room is fine to get up and out of without any pain. I get these times on occasion when I get a back flare up which sure makes it hard to navigate. I started my walking program once again and that should help out also. Having spinal stenosis is not a picnic believe me but I deal with it. I am sure “they” have drugs to take for the pain but I don’t like the goofy-dopey feeling so I just deal with it.

Not much on my ticket today but making tags for Wills bullet collection. I have to type what year it was used and the caliber, etc. then laminate the tags so he can place them in front of the bullets on the board so folks can know what they are looking at. The gal at the museum was going to make them for him but is so loaded with work right now and he needs them for Monday so I will make them.

I love this new office chair with the lumber support on the back for it is so much more comfortable than the nice chair I was using.

We have been having a thunder and lightening storm this evening and now it is raining just a little. Hopefully the little will b come a lot more for the trees and grass around her could use a good watering.

SUSAN Is it great that you have such a nice place to take your car in for servicing. They all should be that way I do believe. Customers are gleaned from customers that are treated right so the business grows.

Have a great night my Magnolia friends.

__________________DON'T EXCHANGE WHAT YOU WANT MOST
FOR WHAT YOU WANT AT THE MOMENTDOWN THE ROAD TO THINSUCCESS OCCURS WHEN OPPORTUNITY MEETS PREPARATION

Good morning gals. I am up getting morning chores done as I have to head out to the nail salon at 9:30 to meet up with Kelly.

I have been having these crazy hot flashes then chills on and off all night and it happened again last night. I took my temp to make sure I didn't have a fever and they only happen overnight. Maybe it is the hormones who knows? It wakes me up a lot.

Jean: I tend to stay away from popcorn because of my diverticulitis and I get the kernels stuck down in my gums way in the back and have a hard time getting them out and then they cause a sore throat and all that goes along with it until I can get it out. I think our dealership provides coffee and cookies. I have only been there once. I imagine in the next couple weeks they will be picking cotton down by the base. It always looks like little bits of snow lining the roadway when they pick cotton. Hope you had a nice lazy day yesterday.

Maggie: My nail salon have lumbar pedicure chairs they turn on and they roll down your back. I hate those and have to turn it off as it really hurts. We have lumbar support in our front seats of our car. We can press a button and adjust them until they are comfortable, but at least they don't roll a rolling pin down my back.

Good Morning, Flowers! It's raining and breezy in my corner of the world this morning. We need the rain but the farmers are antsy to get the harvest going so this will slow down their efforts for a day or two. Bob just left with the boat to store it away for the winter. It seems like he just got it out for the summer. I have nothing on my agenda for today except more laundry and I could dust and vacuum again. Since it's cloudy the dust doesn't show so maybe I'll wait for sunshine.

Maggie -- Thanks for the rain! I hope your back is feeling a lot better by now! I feel for you as I kind of know what that is like having gone through a strained back several years ago. I ended up with physical therapy sessions which did help. I'm pretty careful about what and how I "do" ever since then. It's nice of you to make the tags for Will. It takes me forever to figure out different sizes of things I want to make on the computer because I don't do it very often.

"Gma" -- I hope you have a wonderful day! Also hope the hot flashes are gone by now. They are NOT fun! I had them for six months after my surgery waiting for HRT. Bob's truck dealership in Sioux City has a huge array of snack items and drinks in their waiting room plus two big screen tvs. I'm sure it is because it is so much larger than here. You just get to sit down and get settled before they come to tell you they are done with the truck. We both have lumbar support in the vehicles; my nail salon has it too, but I never turn it on. I know it's adjustable but I just don't like the feeling even though it doesn't hurt.

Not much newsy from Iowa today. Hope you all enjoy a nice weekend, wherever you are and whatever you have planned.

Good morning! Just a quick post as we will be heading out to the commissary in just a bit.

I had a great birthday. Kelly and I had fun at the nail salon and I now have beautiful red toes. I skipped the lumbar thing in the salon chair! We went to this terrific place called Deli Mexicana. I had this piece of corn on the cob that sounds icky but man is it good. They put mayo on the corn then roll it in mexican Queso Fresco and shake a bit of cayenne on it. It is sweet and tart and salty. It was fabulous. I had the tacos carnitas and kelly had tilapia tacos and we traded a couple each. They were full sized tacos but tiny one bite things on fresh hot tiny flour tortillas with an avacadoe slice and some cilantro on top. They were really good and this place got super busy right after we got there so the place is really popular. This is owned by one family and they all work there. It is on the way to the Walmart we use so I can pick up takeout from time to time after shopping.

I am down another 2 lbs!!

Jean: For you summer ended too quickly, for us it went too slowly. We now are down to a week and a half before we leave. Unfortunately, Jack thinks he tore his meniscus on his right knee (the one less serious) so he is wearing a brace and popping advil until we get back. Poor guy I really feel for him. I will put up with this small irritation and the cramping from time to time as long as the diahrrea doesn't come back or the bleeding.

I felt a lot better back wise yesterday but today is a different story for the pain is back two fold this morning and it hurts so bad I feel like crying. I will hobble over for church services though after while. I am staying home during the class time to let these pills take hold before I walk over there. This degenerative disk disease is a killer. I haven’t done much of anything during this bout because I just didn’t feel like it. I do hope it is cleared up enough to bear before tomorrow for we are planning to be gone about a week. First to Texas then meandering around a few states and then home again by Friday.

The director of the museum wants me to construct a glass building that looks like the museum to raffle off. They will buy all the material necessary and I will donate my time and make the building. I need to take some pictures of the outside so I can make the pattern then order some glass. It will certainly be an interesting project.

I cleaned out my old computer so I could give it to a gal at the museum that will one day be the curator for that is what she is studying to become. Right now she is the assistant and quite a good one. Anyway her computer went kapoot and so instead of tossing mine I cleaned it out and gave it to her. It will do her fine until she can buy a new one. I am certain her dad, who is a doctor, would buy her a new one now but she hates to lean on him for “things” for he is paying for her education. She has been using the computer at the museum and saving all her stuff on a thumb drive because she can’t leave it on that computer. I am happy to help her out for mow she can work some at home on her studies.

DONNA FAYE on your weight loss and I am sorry I missed telling you a but now I will say it ~ belated as it is. I know you are so excited about going on the cruise and it will be soon.

JEAN Yep back pain can be bad. I have never had anything hurt so bad I do believe. I have learned to deal with a lot of pain but this go-round has been especially bad. I will get through this though and it will be just a memory to nag me to "watch it."

Have a great day my Magnolia friends.

__________________DON'T EXCHANGE WHAT YOU WANT MOST
FOR WHAT YOU WANT AT THE MOMENTDOWN THE ROAD TO THINSUCCESS OCCURS WHEN OPPORTUNITY MEETS PREPARATION

Good Afternoon, Flowers! The sun is shining and a breeze is blowing -- a nice fall day in my neighborhood. We went to church and I've been working on the afghan. Maybe I will get it done before winter has been here and gone!

"Gma" -- on another 2#s gone forever. You are doing great in spite of the meds you have to take. I just saw a recipe for that Mexican corn on the cob. I get Taste of Home recipes on Facebook but not sure if it was there or somewhere else. It did sound good. I hope Jack can baby his knee enough so that it doesn't give him a lot of pain while you are gone.

Maggie -- I'm so sorry your back is hurting so bad again today. Did you do something to cause the disc problem or is that something that just happens? Will the museum glass building be a larger size than you usually make? It will give you a challenge to copy something that is real . . . or not? To give your old computer to the museum gal was so nice of you!

I hear the dryer buzzing so my last load is ready to fold and put away. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Good morning girls! Today was official weigh day I guess. I got on the scales and whooped it up. With the 2 lbs loss I posted yesterday and this morning's weight, I am down a total of 5 lbs. I'm 4 lbs short of my weight goal for the cruise, but I have now lost 65 lbs total so I am not complaining at all.

I finished Jackson's socks, but it's not letting me load the picture here. I don't know what's going on, it just says the upload failed. I tried several different pictures and get the same so who knows?? I am going to finish my scarf that is almost done, then finish the socks I was knitting for myself. I am going to look in my stash and see what I have to make my girlfriend a pair of footies for her birthday. That and the socks should keep my busy while on the cruise down time.

Yesterday was commissary day and we breezed right through as we have a shortened period of time with us going on vacation. It was over $100 cheaper too! We came home and put stuff away then just relaxed in the afternoon.

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes.

Maggie: I will pray for you that your back will improve. Is medication the only thing they can do for you? You take care of yourself and rest as much as you can in the most comfortable piece of furniture for you. I talked to Jackson on my birthday and towards the end I told him to start making a list for Nonny for Christmas. Boy, that perked him right up! He told me he wanted a video game and a phone, "a REAL one." I ask if he has asked him parents if it was ok and he said, "Yes!" I knew it wasn't but had to laugh. I have a feeling they have given him pretend phones and he is fed up with that. Alicia told me what he wants is something handheld for games so I will see what we can do about that instead.

Jean: We have been much cooler here and looks like it is going to be about 15 degrees cooler this year for the cruise than last, which is a-ok with me. Kelly said I should check with the purser about the muster drill with my bad knee and standing so long. She says Carnival provides a place for those who would need extra help if it would be necessary and she said with your knee I imagine you would need extra help. So we might check into it. I know an accessable room would be nice to have because there are grab bars in the shower and next to the toilet and it makes it easier to go from sitting to standing with a grab bar, but I am not going to take a room away from someone who really needs it like someone in a scooter or wheelchair.

Well girls, need to check the dryer as I have a load of towels in there and get my dishwasher unloaded and reloaded. Have a great start to the week. Faye

It is in the high 80°’s this day here in the ♥-Land with very little wind and a big 0 chance of any rain. The dogs were at the groomer while Will was getting the tires on the Jeep rotated. I eased real carefully into the day. My pain has subsided somewhat and I am hoping it will go on away soon for next Monday we are heading out. Right now sitting here I am without any pain but let me stand up and it will hit me but not as hard as it has been then subside as I walk some. I am just so thankful that I can reach a position where the pain goes away and isn’t a constant thing. I sleep well for it doesn’t hurt when I am lying down. The motion I use to put on my shoes and get them tied wakes up my back and that makes it difficult when I stand up but I know by the time I have reached the middle of the hall it will subside considerably to a much lesser hurt.

Here is a yummy way to get some fiber and get in some veggies. It is so good and good for you. You can leave out what you don’t like and put in other veggies that you may prefer. This is just how I make it. Next time I make it I am going to put in some cut up fresh flat pea pods. But this is how I made it today.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES ~ RECIPE:
½ # Fresh Mushrooms
1 Cup Chopped yellow (Spanish) onion
1Cup Chopped green pepper
½ Cup Chopped Celery
½ Cup Light Italian Dressing
1. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel, cut them in half then place them in a large zip lock bag.
2. Put in all other chopped veggies and pour the dressing over all. Mix it up then pour it into a bowl with a good fitting lid and place in the fridge until you want to eat some.

DONNA FAYE on your marvelous weigh loss. You are doing quite well and I my hands for you. Keep up the good work. It seems like kids are getting younger and younger that have cell phones these days and they always have to have them up to their ears. I remember even when I was in high school we had to use the pay phone in the hallway outside the VP's office if we needed to make a call. Now everyone that wants one can have one it seems.

PS: Will had brought back a bag of popcorn balls from the market today and I just ate one and they are actually a lot better than ones we had last year. They are made by Kathy Kay Foods in Utah. No ~ I don't get a commission but if you like this type of snack that is 3P+ each try them. We like popcorn balls and I don't make them anymore.

Have a great day my Magnolia friends.

__________________DON'T EXCHANGE WHAT YOU WANT MOST
FOR WHAT YOU WANT AT THE MOMENTDOWN THE ROAD TO THINSUCCESS OCCURS WHEN OPPORTUNITY MEETS PREPARATION

Good Evening, Flowers! It's been another beautiful fall day in my corner of the world. We were "fast" when counting at church this morning and I was done early so helped put the monthly newsletter together. I had to fill in for a practice installation for P.E.O., then picked up the gift shop money. This afternoon I made the bank deposit, stopped at the library, and picked up a few groceries. Mondays is 5% senior discount but "earned" three whole cents off for gas, which is $3.18 right now. Bob is farming so will probably see him in an hour or so when it's dark.

"Gma" -- on losing more #s! You are knitting up a storm! You go girl! I agree about checking to see if you could some on ship drill accommodation for your knee.

Maggie -- I hope your back continues to feel better. Thanks for the veggie recipe . . . I would leave out the mushrooms! I love popcorn balls. YUM! I don't make them either but our grocery store will have them closer to Halloween. I usually buy at least one.

I'm picking up the clutter and need to vacuum. The way the late sun comes in the west deck doors REALLY shows the dusty furniture and "crappy" floor! Enjoy your evening! I'll be watching Dancing with the Stars unless Bob wants to watch football.

Good morning girls. It is lovely and cool this morning. We had light rain most of the day yesterday, which we really needed, but I guess only parts of the city got rain. Jack works 20 miles from the condo and he said they didn't get anything.

Jack informed me this morning we are now in single digits and in the same month as the cruise. He is like that little kid in the Disney commercials, "I'm too excited to sleep." I am looking forward to it, but mostly I am worried I will forget something. Since we are down to the wire, Jack will take the mail hold card in on Friday after work to give those dopes a running start at stopping the mail before we leave. My haircut and color is Saturday, thank goodness and he gets his haircut on Sunday afternoon. We have to really clean the inside of the car this weekend. Since Jack drives it back and forth to work it is always dirty. I used to keep it immaculate when we still had the Grand Marquis. We will most likely buy a new car in 2017 and we aren't going to trade the Mariner in so we will have two cars again and I can run around town if I wish. I am going to clean the heck out of it before we go on vacation. I told Jack he has to shampoo the seats and rugs too. Our cup holders have removable rubber holders and they are nasty. He got a chocolate shake or something and it is ick!!! I told him they have to be brought in and scrubbed. Men can be such slobs.

Yesterday was the first day in a long time I was seriously hungry all day and evening and snacked a lot. Hopefully today will be better.

Maggie: I love popcorn balls but avoid them because of my diverticulitis. Three pts for a snack you love is not bad. I like the pretzel with cheese Combos. I have to count them out in a bowl or I would mow through the whole little bag. Sounds funny, but I like the little Dole pink grapefruit containers. There isn't much in them, but they are yummy. I usually eat them for breakfast, but they are a nice safe choice is I am having snacking problems. How is your back coming along??? Ok, I forgot, where are you going and how long are you going to be gone?

Jean: Knitting is great for me because it keeps my calm, teaches me patience and gives me something to do. I am almost finished with my scarf, maybe a couple more inches and I have started a pair of footies for my best friend for her birthday. I think I am going to make her a couple pair. They are basically cut down socks. She wears white footies all the time and she said she wears them out fast walking around in the house. She asked me if I would knit her a pair to wear around the house as she hates her slippers. The gas down the street at the Walmart Neighborhood Market is $3.11. I looked up gas prices for the trip and I saw a place in Chattanooga that was under $3. I hope it keeps up. I think we paid around $3.60 for the cruise last year.

Well girls, I have laundry in the washer and need to unload the dishwasher. Have a great day today. Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! It's another beautiful fall morning here. It is supposed to be in the 80s again this afternoon. The leaves are turning colors overnight; it's hard to believe today is October 1st. I have nowhere I have to be or do today. I do need to sort through my shoe pile and get rid of what I don't wear any more.

Any guesses on how the government shut down will turn out? I think the government employees, especially Congress, should be under the same "plan of action" the rest of us are! But what do I know?

"Gma" -- Our rain sprinkles have been the same way this summer; parts of town get a few drips and the rest nothing. I really hate the hungry days and usually don't eat anything different to start the day. I like grapefruit but neither one of us is supposed to eat it with taking cholesterol meds. Bob's shoulders have been bothering him at night and someone told him to quit taking his generic Lipitor and see if that helps. It did help so now he needs to find out if there is something else he can take instead. Typical man, "I don't have time during harvest!"

I need to get busy and get something done. Bob is farming again today so I won't see him until tonight. My cooking duties are practically nil which is ok with me. Hope you all enjoy a terrific Tuesday today!

Good evening, ladies! It actually got up in the 80s today and was nice. It was down to 52 when I got up this morning at 6:00.

This weekend is retreat and Thursday I have to work and then its First Thursday Bee so I'll have to have everything ready to go tomorrow.

I had my hands full of packages when I got out of the car, stumbled on the curb and slammed my leg into the bumper. It swelled up like a grapefruit by the time I got in the house. I've been icing it off an on and its coming down but it sure does hurt and is black. I'm thinking I may need to take it easy tomorrow since I have so much standing and walking to do for the retreat.
Don't snack on carbs unless you have protein with them and you'll not be hungry. Carbs cause hunger and protein satisfies it the most, followed by fat.

Faye, Happy belated birthday! I'm glad you had a nice day with Kelly. The weather should be so nice for the cruise this year.

Jean, gas is $3.09 here so I'm glad for that.

Maggie, it will nice for you and Will to get away for a week or so. I'm sorry your back is acting up. I know the pain. The doc told me not to do anything that makes me twist but to turn my whole body instead for that can bring on the pain for the disks don't move correctly. My lower back is not good.

Have a great evening.

__________________
Susan

HW 356 pounds - CW 135 - GW 137

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.